Friday, April 22, 2016

I ombred myself grape in honor of the unexpected passing of another music icon-

The artist now Really Formally Known As Prince passed away on Thursday.

Many associate him with the color purple because of this 80's album,

Purple Rain.

It was one of my favorites in high school,

and I have many memories tied to those songs.

I had an Eloise moment on Thursday. I was driving from school to school to pick up some art show costumes. I rolled down the windows and turned up the radio to a mild blast as I exited my space in the high school parking lot. Raspberry Beret was playing on Classy 100.

Wow! I haven't heard this song for ages!

A memory of me dancing around the Junior High gym at an after the football game dance

flashed in my mind.

I listened for a minute, but quickly hit the next few buttons on the radio, just checking to make sure Tim McGraw wasn't playing. There aren't many things that make me happier than coming across a Handsome song on the radio. I scrolled down to find that Froggy was playing Purple Rain!

Holy cow! TWO Prince songs! What are the chances!

Still in search of some soothing from Handsome Himself, I popped along a couple more button stops on my radio. On Star 104 When Doves Cry was playing!

Sweet, Jesus! THREE songs! Now that is REALLY something.

I can only imagine what I looked like as I talked aloud to myself the whole way down to Klein School and back. It wasn't until I reentered the high school a short time later that I found out the reason why I took at trip down 80's memory lane. The change of classes was going on as I buzzed myself in. Kids were walking up and down the hall in a buzz. I could feel the energy and see the phones flashing.

Prince died!

Hey! Prince just croaked!

Prince was found dead in some elevator.

One of my brainy ones walked by and I heard him say,

Like, a REAL Prince or Prince the musician?

Cause if a Prince died somewhere, this could be bad!

Thank God for the Brainiacs.

They like clarification.

I love how the weather people around the country

lit up their weather maps with purple precipitation on Thursday evening in his honor.

it always seems like the girls have a ray of sunshine beaming down upon them.

To end this Purple Reign/Earth Day post,

I'll give you a little lesson on the reigning invasive plant--

the Purple Loosestrife

(Eloise and crew have been studying for the PA Envirothon).

I made this my cover photo for facebook,

to match my purpled up profile pic.

It's so pretty,

but cripes!

Purple Loosestrife is on the Most Wanted List.

Environerds even have a wanted poster out for it!

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)

Purple loosestrife can range from 2 to 7 feet high.

Purple loosestrife is a wetland plant from Europe and Asia. It was introduced into the east coast of North America in the 1800s. First spreading along roads, canals, and drainage ditches, then later distributed as an ornamental, this exotic plant is in 40 states and all Canadian border provinces.

Purple loosestrife invades marshes and lakeshores, replacing cattails and other wetland plants. The plant can form dense, impenetrable stands which are unsuitable as cover, food, or nesting sites for a wide range of native wetland animals including ducks, geese, rails, bitterns, muskrats, frogs, toads, and turtles. Many rare and endangered wetland plants and animals are also at risk.

I guess it is a real problem.

Sometimes the prettiest things can be such bitches to control.

Mrs. Eloise did a little research to find out how far Miss Purple Looselegs,